$875K settlement announced in death at Chicago nursing home

Mar. 21, 2017

CHICAGO (AP) — A law firm says a Chicago nursing home has agreed to an $875,000 settlement for the family of a man who choked to death at the facility in 2012.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports (http://bit.ly/2n3A9IP ) Antonio Mares died after a nursing assistant at the Center Home for Hispanic Elderly fed him food that didn't comply with his physician's diet orders. The lawsuit says he choked while eating unsupervised.

The Levin & Perconti law firm announced the settlement. The family's attorneys faulted understaffing and improper training for Mares' death. Mares' daughter, Isela Mares, says she hopes "needed changes" will be made at the nursing home.

The nursing home says in a Tuesday statement that it has "taken steps to ensure this never happens again" and offers its staff "training in best practices."